Instrument of Surrender

INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER

We, acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept the provisions set forth in the declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, China, and Great Britain on 26 July 1945 at Potsdam, and subsequently adhered to by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which four powers are hereafter referred to as the Allied Powers. ....
...... .... and so on.


And yet........... the USA actually never accepted the Japanese surrender: as such both nations are still at war with each other! Photographs of MacArthur (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) at the signing ceremony show that the USA flag was actually displayed backward — reverse side showing, with the stars in the upper right corner. It is generally accepted in learned quarters that the USA had never forgiven Hirohito for Pearl Harbo(u)r, thus the US can, at any point in the future, strike back in revenge at one of the major Japanese ports, such as Yokohama, Kobe or Osaka.

The only thing holding the might of the USA back is the extent of their present trading partnership with the Japanese. But this could change as China tightens a grip on world markets previously dominated by their near neighbour and great enemy.

Most People Love Ice Cream

Most People Love Ice Cream, and frozen custard, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato and so on. An ancient invention attributed to the Persians, although enjoyable, ice cream can lead to brain freeze, a recurring illness which reportedly led to Viv Prince leaving the Pretty Things in November 1965. However, shortly afterwards, Prince deputised for Keith Moon of the Who, disproving this particular theory. Viv Price also was thrown out of the Hell’s Angels for indecorous behaviour a few years later, and more recently has been breeding Alsatian dogs in Portugal, where he can often be seen of a hot afternoon enjoying ..................... ice cream!
Most People Love Ice Cream!


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Most People Love Ice Cream

Van Credenza have been in a variety of musical locations over the past few days, attempting to locate the correct resonance for their new number, 'Most People Love Ice Cream'.

It's been testy, and it’s getting late, but we communally feel that the song, based on the rhythms of a 1960’s Pretty Things offering, is close to a magnum opus.

Coming soon........

The Gong Farmer

From the times of "torche-culs", handfuls of straw or hay, and the "gomphus" a curved stick, comes The Gong Farmer. Many of these workers died of asphyxiation, or due to infections entering open wounds. After Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded in 1618, a small tobacco case was found in his cell, bearing the legend “It was my comfort in those miserable times”. Tobacco was also a great comfort to The Gong Farmers, many of whom became very heavy smokers as a defence to their line of work.

M.O.D.

M.O.D.: a number owing a great debt to the phenomenon of synchronicity

Reportedly, Stavely Makepeace alter ego Lieutenant Pigeon wrote a song in protest at the introduction of decimalised currency to the UK on 15th February, 1971. It took quite a while to reach UK number one, via its use on a Belgian current affairs programme (eventually topping the chart from 14th October, 1972 for 4 weeks). Coincidentally, the UK had introduced the 50p coin, in anticipation of decimalisation 3 years previously, on 14th October, 1969.

However, in later years, 57 year old pianist Hilda Woodward revealed her involvement had been on the understanding that the song related to her concerns about the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China signing a mutual defence treaty…… on 15th February, 1950, when Hilda, in her mid thirties, feared another global conflict, having survived the severe bombing on her home town of Coventry in 1940. She wrote to the Ministries of Defence in a variety of nations, receiving no replies.

The original title of the song Mouldy Old Dough was M.O.D.

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Miami Weiss

Miami Weiss is claimed to be a traditional Germenn Hefeweizen or Weissbier, with banana and clove aroma and flavour. How can this be? How could an ale with such a title be ‘traditional’ or ‘established’?

Certainly the beer appears to have been produced in accordance with the German Purity Laws, but Van Credenza feel a degree uneasy about these two terms, ‘German’ and ‘purity’ being juxtaposed. Don’t mention the war!

1. Steep your grains @ 155° for 30 min
2. Add 1# of extract, stir well
3. Bring to a rolling boil
4. Throw in your hops, set time for 50 min
5. At 50 min take off heat and stir in the rest of your extract
6. Bring back to boil and hold there for 10 min
7. Cool wort to 65-75° and add your yeast

Walt Weiss played ball for the Miami Merlins in the early 1990’s.

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The Tall Man

Who is The Tall Man?

Don Coscarelli wrote, produced and directed a highly influential film during the 1970’s, where a small town is threatened by zombie dwarfs under the control of ‘The Tall Man’. Eventually, the Tall Man is entombed in a mine shaft……… or is he? The film was released in Australia as Never Dead, although as a general release it was known as Phantasm.

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Meeting with the Akicita

Van Credenza entered into pow wow with the akicita (peacekeepers) who always speak with owatamla (straight tongue). We all took a journey on the shunke canku (iron horse). Until recently, one was a pahaska – a longhair – the other is still a medicine man (pejula wacasa or diyi). They were zunta with Van Credenza, and suggested an alteration to UltraBoom.

That alteration is available here: http://vancredenza.blogspot.com/2010/04/ultraboom.html

Egogahan.

Hanno the Navigator

Libyophoenician culture establishment was a major purpose of Hanno (the navigator). He led up to 30,000 people in a Carthaginian venture to colonise north and west Africa, perhaps as far as present day Gambia, in an attempt to control trade in that sector.

During his voyages, Hanno encountered a savage, unkempt, long-haired race of Africans on an island: his armies were unable to capture any males who were so numerous and savage that they could not be taken alive. Three females were taken, but they too were so ferocious that they had to be killed.

This tribute celebrates Hanno’s encounters with that violent hirsute foe.

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